Thomas Stuart / Skutt Kickwheel Bat System | Big Ceramic Store

Message from the designers of the Skutt/ Thomas Stuart bat system for kickwheels:

We have devised a unique system for making plaster bats and made it an easily available option to the Thomas Stuart kickwheel without the need for additional heads and molds. We feel the plaster bats are more durable than plastic or particle board.

To attach the plaster bats to the work head, three small holes are drilled in the wheel head. One pin is placed in each hole (30 pins are provided) and the ring is tightened around the outside of the head. The inside area is coated with a generous amount of liquid soap or other parting agent. The head is then filled with plaster. After the plaster has set, the ring is removed and the plaster bat is set aside to dry. The pins serve two purposes. First, they easily relocate the bat on center and eliminate the need for slip as a fastening agent. Second, the pins provide space between the bats as they are stacked which facilitates fast drying.

We are sure you will find this system highly desirable in most professional and school situations. Where more than one Thomas Stuart wheel is used, you need only to purchase one bat mold to make all the plaster bats you need. We will be happy to drill the wheel head if you purchase the bat mold at the same time you purchase the wheel. If the bat system is purchased later, we provide a drilling template, drill bit and instructions for drilling the head.

Compare a normal pin and bat system to this system.

• With a normal system, there are two pins sticking out of the wheel head to attached bats usually made out of plastic or hardboard. These pins are 1/4" cap screws with wing nuts that are usually spaced 10" apart from each other. The tops of these cap screws fit into holes drilled on each bat.
• Our plaster bat system uses pins sticking out of each bat into small holes you drill in the wheel head. We use three pins in each bat so the bats can stack on top of each other next to the wheel. This system requires you making these bats out of plaster at a cost of about $1-$2 each.

If you choose B, the complete system comes with everything you need including instructions (except the plaster of course). The main difference between the two systems is: with A) you will always have these two bolts sticking out of the wheel head and you will need to use a bat for everything including trimming etc (be aware that many of these bats are slightly warped and cause many people grief when trimming.) Or with B) you continue to use your wheel head for throwing smaller pieces and trimming. If you need to throw something (like a plate) you simply place a plaster bat on the head (inserting the protruding pins into the small hole drilled on the head), throw and remove when finished.